“Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character” James Russell Lowell 1844

BEING ALONE IS NOT LONELY

I often ask myself why there are those who think being alone seems to always mean Lonely, without companionship. They claim the physical fact of being isolated sometimes carries a suggestion of desolation or dejection, which can cause the feeling of emptiness, of being disconnected, or alienated from others. Lonely people often feel empty or hollow inside. And feeling like that can cause panic attacks, and keep you apart from loved ones, and often leads to anxiety, and depression.

Being lonely is one thing. Being alone is another.

Nowhere in the definition of alone does it suggest dejection, desolation, or depression. Being alone, and enjoying the solitude can give birth to originality, to beauty, to poetry, to freedom. It is the ability to entertain one’s self– to reflect–to live our own life. It can be the door to creativity, an echo of our imagination. Alone is where we learn about ourselves and can dream in silence, without talk or interruption of our most private thoughts. Try closing your eyes in a dark room. You will enjoy the silence. Alone means you can think about your life and the future direction you want to take. Should you be considered lonely, when it’s finally time to settle into your comfy chair, alone, with your favorite book—or the feeling you get when the children are all asleep and you can relax in peaceful solitude. Many people who are alone are happy? Choosing to be in alone allows your inner voice to talk aloud and discuss the things you can do for yourself.

I love my solitude. I can think when I am alone.

First, I sit down at my computer, close the blinds, and open my desk lamp. Second, I put a CD in my player, which sends soft music to my ears, and my mind, free of interruptions and distractions, can roam in the realm of my characters, motivating me.